Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez woke up Wednesday morning in his spacious North Attleborough home.

He went to bed that night in a 7-by-10-foot cell at the Bristol County House of Correction.

“His bathroom at home was probably bigger than his accommodations here,” Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson said Thursday.

Brian Fraga

Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez woke up Wednesday morning in his spacious North Attleborough home.

He went to bed that night in a 7-by-10-foot cell at the Bristol County House of Correction.

“His bathroom at home was probably bigger than his accommodations here,” Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson said Thursday.

Hernandez, 23, arrested and charged Wednesday with first-degree murder and firearm charges, has thus far been a polite, “model inmate” who is respectful and cooperative with corrections officers, said Hodgson, who told Hernandez when he arrived at the county jail that he will not be treated any differently than the facility’s other 927 pretrial detainees and inmates.

“(Hernandez) said, ‘Thank you very much. I understand.’ He didn’t appear nervous while he was being booked in,” said Hodgson, who spent Thursday granting interviews to ESPN, "Good Morning America" and several other media outlets camped out on the Sheriff’s Office's Faunce Corner campus.

Hernandez, whose requests for bail have been denied by two judges, will spend his days at the Bristol County House of Correction while his criminal case is pending.

The jail’s Gang Intelligence Unit interviewed Hernandez late Thursday and took pictures of the several tattoos he has on his torso and arms to determine whether he has any past or current gang affiliations. That determination will help the jailhouse staff decide on which cell block to assign Hernandez.

“You don’t want rival gang members in the same unit,” Hodgson said.

While he goes through in-processing, Hernandez will spend 23 hours a day in a cell at the jail’s medical unit. There are 12 other inmates in the unit and they are all closely monitored with surveillance cameras in their cells. Hernandez is alone in his cell, which is equipped with a bunk bed and metal sink.

Hernandez is allowed to write, read books from the jail’s book exchange and exercise — pushups and sit-ups, no weights — inside his cell. The lights are out at 9 p.m.

Hernandez will undergo mental health screening and his demeanor will be examined to determine whether his behavior changes as the reality of incarceration sinks in.
“For someone like him, this is an adjustment,” Hodgson said. “Some people adjust really well and others will have problems.”

Either Sunday or Monday, the jail’s security staff will review their internal classification for Hernandez and then decide whether to place him in general population in a regular cell block or elsewhere, such as protective custody.

If placed in general population, Hernandez will be allowed two hours of recreation each day — in the morning and afternoon — when inmates can walk around the outside courtyard and play basketball. Inmates are allowed time outside their cells in the cell block’s general area to watch one hour of television. They can also be released from their cells to attend religious services and classes on recovering from substance abuse.

Correctional officers and other jail staff have been instructed to refrain from having inappropriate contact with Hernandez — such as requesting his autograph — and to not copy or access his personal file.

That extends to the jailhouse menu. Hernandez will eat the same basic fare provided to the other inmates. On Wednesday evening, Hernandez ate chop suey, a slice of bread and vegetables. For breakfast Thursday, he had an egg, cereal and Tang, and then meatballs, mashed potatoes with gravy and peas for dinner.

“You won’t get fat in our jail,” Hodgson said. “This is not a place you want to come because you’ll get more food or better food.”

As a pretrial detainee and murder defendant, Hernandez will not be allowed to volunteer for work details that take inmates outside into the community. Hernandez can see up to five visitors, and he has submitted five names that the jailhouse security staff will need to conduct background checks for before clearing those people to visit Hernandez.

The buzz has been going around the Dartmouth jail that the former NFL star is in the house. Several inmates told a Teen Challenge staff member that they were excited and hoped to see Hernandez.

“Sure, some inmates in here are rabid Patriots fans,” said Hodgson, who noted that two fans held a sign outside the Faunce Corner Road entrance saying “We Love You” when Hernandez arrived at the jail.

Despite the fascination surrounding Hernandez, the reality is that a successful NFL star in his prime is now in jail, accused of murdering someone.

“This guy walked into a stadium, revered by thousands of people cheering for him,” Hodgson said. “Now he walks through our doors, and he’s just another number in a jail uniform.

“You get perspective on how someone’s life can change really quickly,” Hodgson said. “That’s a great lesson that hopefully will have a lot of kids pause and think how quickly you can lose your freedom by making bad choices.”